Armor or tube forming machine



Feb. 26, 1929.

M. NIGRO ARMOR 0R TUBE FORMING MACHINE Original Filed July '5, 1925 I M'ch Patented b. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHEL Mano, E woEcEs'rEE, MASSACHUSETTS, ns srexon r0 SLEEPER a HARTLEY, Inc, or woEcEs'rEB, mssAcHus-E'r'rs, A, conroan'rroiv or MASSACHUSETTS.

M03 03 TUBE FORMING MACHINE.-

Application filed July 3, 1926, Serial No. 411 23. Renewed September 24, 1528.

My invention relates to armor or tube forming machines and has for its object to provide an improved machine of the class described which is particularly adapted for the production of flexiblemetallic armor or tubular casing from flat stock, that is, stock which is substantially rectangular in cross section,

In the copending a plication of Frank H. Sleeper, Serial No. 2 ,709, filed May 7, 1925, and assigned to Sleeper & Hartley, Inc., there is shown and described an armor or tube forming machine comprising a rotatable flier carrying feeding and forming rolls which are positively driven so as to form and feed the flat stock, at a predetermined rate, to coiling devices also rotatable with the flier, whereby tubular casing is formed as the flier r0tates.

The present invention relates to machines of the type described in the above mentioned 00- pending application, and has for its object to provide an improved mounting for the feeding and forming rolls, whereby the rolls may be quickly and conveniently adjusted to control the pitch of the tubing formed by the rotation of the flier.

In the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of'the machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and i Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating details of the improved mounting of the feeding and forming rolls.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different fi res. I

Referring to igs. land 2, the machine com rises a pedestal or base 1 havin an upwardly extending portion 2 through w ich ex.- tends a hollow sleeve 3- rotatably supported near its ends in anti-friction bearings 4. The sleeve 3 is provided at one end with a radial web 5 surrounded by an integral concentric flange 6, which is adapted to receive a belt 7 for rotatably driving, from any suitable source of power, the sleeve 3, together with the stock reel and stock feeding and coilin devices, the whole constituting what will be hereinafter termed the flier. I

As fully shown and described in the above mentioned copending application, an annular bundle of flat stock 8 is supported on a rim 9 concentric about the axis of rotation of the sleeve-3, the-rim 9 bein so mounted as to permit the stock 8 to be awn off as the entire stock supply rotates with the flier. Th ev stock 8 is led from the supply reel over guide rolls 10 to a'pair of stock forming and feeding rolls 11, the mounting of whichforms the subject matter of the present application, as will now 60,

be described.

As best "shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the rolls 11 are carried by a bracket 12 which is provided with ears 13, 13, pivotally connected to lugs 14, 14, projecting from the web 5 by pins 15, B

15. The opposite end of the bracket 12 is provided with an opening for receiving a stud 16 having an eye portionwhich is pivotally con nected to the web 5 by means of a pin 17. Nuts 18 coacting with the stud 16 on opposite sides 7 of the bracket 12 permit the brac et to be adusted and held in different angular positions with respect to the axis of the pins 15, In

other words, the angle which the plane of the bracket 12 makes with the longitudinal axis e adjusted to mg formed as devices by the,

of rotation of the sleeve 3 ma control the pitch of the tube tie the strip 8 isfd to the coiling rolls 11.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the rolls 11 are mounted. on shafts 19 which are rotatably supported in bearings 20 carried by the bracket 12 and a plate 21. One of the roll shafts 19 carries a driving gear 22, from which both' rolls 11 are 1n unison through intermeshing gears 23 also mounted on the shafts 19. The rolls 11 are adapted by their contour to form the stock 8 and, at the same time, to positively feed it at a predetermined rate to the coiling devices,

which as best shown in Fig. 1, comprise a group of coiling rolls 24 and coiling tools 25 arranged about the axis of the flier and carried by a plate 26 securedto the web 5. The

particular arrangement of the coiling rolls 24 and coiling tools 25 forms no part of the present invention, it being'suificient foran understanding of thesame to state that when the coiling devices are driven with the flier and the formed strip 8 is positively fed thereto by the rolls 11, a tubular casing is formed, which, as shown in Fig. 2, feeds itself outwardly from the plate 26 as the flier rotates.

And it will be evident that the pitch of the tubing bein thus formed will be positively determined the angle which the bracket 12 makes with t c axis of rotation of the flier.

As shown and described in' the above mentioned copending application, the powei' for the rolls 11 is derived from'a hollow 11o adapted to'be driven 85 sleeve 27 which extends longitudinally through the flier sleeve 3 and is rotatably supported therein by anti-friction bearings 28 and 29 carried by the sleeve 3 and by an end plate 30, respectively. The gear 22 on the roll shaft 19 is in mesh with a gear 31 carried at one end of the inner sleeve 27, while .the other end of the sleeve 27 carries a gear 32. The sleeve 27 is adapted to be driven from a countershaft 33 through change gears 34 and 35, as shown in the above mentioned copending application, or in any other suitable manner.

From the foregoing it is apparent that by my invention I h ve provided an improved mounting for the ljcositively driven feeding and forming rolls of a tube forming machine, whereby the plane "of rotation of the rolls may be quickly and conveniently adjusted to con trol the pitch of t i e tubing formed by the rtation of the flie I claim: J

1; In a machi jfe of the class described, the combination wit a rotatable member carrying a supply of strip material, positively driven strip feeding rolls carried by said rotatable member, and coiling devices carried by said member adapted to form said strip into a tube, of means for adjusting said rolls to vary the pitch of the tube being formed.

2. In a. machine of the class described, the

combination with a rotatable member carrying a supply of strip material, positively driven strip feeding rolls carried by said rotatable member, and coiling devices carried by said member adapted to form said strip into a tube, of means for adjusting said rolls to vary the pitch of the tube being formed, said adjusting means being adapted to adjust the plane of revolution of said rolls about an axis extending at right angles to thesa'id tube. V v

3. In amachine of the class described, a

rotatable member carrying a supply of strip material, a bracket carried by said member, positively driven strip feeding rolls carried by said bracket, coiling devices carried by said member adapted to form said strip into a-tube, and means to adjust said bracket to vary the pitch angle of the tube being formed.

4. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable member carrying a supply of strip material, a bracket carried by said member, positively driven strip feeding rolls carried by said bracket, coiling devices carried by said member adapted to form said strip into a tube, and means to adjust said bracket about an axis extending at right angles to the axis of the tube to vary the angle of delivery of the strip to said coiling devices as it is formed into a tube.

MICHEL NIGRO. 

